Combinatorial processing enables rapid evaluation of semiconductor processes. The systems supporting the combinatorial processing are flexible to accommodate the demands for running the different processes either in parallel, serial or some combination of the two.
Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is commonly used within the semiconductor industry, as well as within solar, glass coating, and other industries, in order to deposit a layer over a substrate. Sputtering is a common physical vapor deposition method, where atoms or molecules are ejected from a target material by high-energy particle bombardment and then deposited onto the substrate.
As feature sizes continue to shrink, improvements, whether in materials, unit processes, or process sequences, are continually being sought for the deposition processes. However, semiconductor companies conduct R&D on full wafer processing through the use of split lots, as the deposition systems are designed to support this processing scheme. This approach has resulted in ever escalating R&D costs and the inability to conduct extensive experimentation in a timely and cost effective manner. Combinatorial processing as applied to semiconductor manufacturing operations enables multiple experiments to be performed on a single substrate.
The equipment performing the combinatorial processing is continually undergoing improvements in order to enable further flexibility and gain efficiency in the manufacturing processes. It is within this context that the embodiments arise.